I am no superwoman. You can forget about what my last post implied. Puh-leaze! Although I work hard to change my attitude, I get dips in my days too. Negative feedback from others or within myself is enough to set off a domino effect on my mood. It goes something like this:
Could you redo this piece? —> Your writing sucks.
I didn’t get that job. —> I suck.
Okay. Maybe it’s not that black and white. But I’m a HSP (highly sensitive person) so I’d be lying if I said that I’m 100% immune to external and internal feedback.
What I can honestly say is this…
- If I ride it out the feeling will go away.
- If I accept how I feel, the feeling will be much easier to deal with.
- If I realize that what I think is not always the truth, then I’m able to let go of obsessing over non-truths and get on with my life.
- And most importantly, if I take a look at my situation from an eagle’s view, I am able to laugh. On the 5th day of Christmas what did the universe give to me? 5 query rejections, 4 minutes of self-doubt, 3 projects pending, 2 forgotten dreams, and 1 life as a writer. {That’s the ditty that was playing in my head yesterday.}
The thing is life will never be easy. Sometimes you have to put in the extra work to discover ways to soothe yourself.
For me, it means being a conscious observer, looking deep at everything I see. (My husband says watching me is like watching a child. I really cannot not look at every little thing.) It’s all in the details my friend. And I’ve been keeping my eye out on them recently…
And sometimes it’s the hidden “signs” that we didn’t notice before:
Changes taking shape when we’re not paying attention.
Or maybe love from an unexpected source just when you needed it most.
What do you need most right now? How are you fueling yourself and your vision?
*Want to see more photos? Here’s a bunch of them.
3 responses to “What Every Dreamer Needs”
Brandi, I can 100 percent relate to the dips in days. I’ve so been there when I’ve received constructive comments about a piece or didn’t get many visitors or comments on my blog. Suddenly it’s like my self-worth is seriously shaken up.
I love the idea of being a conscious observer. I think that’s fantastic advice! And I LOVE the pics. 🙂
Aw thanks Margarita! I’m the same way. It’s something I’m still working on. Always assuming the worst, instead of expecting the best. I wonder if all writers are that way?
[…] After college, I felt stuck for awhile. My butt and the floor of Borders were good friends. I went there almost every weeknight reading career and writing books hoping for the right one to drop on my head to tell me what I should do next. It took a few months, but gradually I began noticing signs. […]